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Concrete footing calculator.

Continuous footings by the foot, or square pads by the count. Get cubic yards with waste and the order to give the plant.

TAKEOFF · FOOTINGS · CONTINUOUS OR PAD NO SIGNUP · IMPERIAL
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How to figure concrete for a footing

A footing is a long box. Multiply the length by the width by the depth, all in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards.

Cubic yards = run (ft) × width (in ÷ 12) × depth (in ÷ 12) ÷ 27

Worked example. A 30 by 30 garage has 120 feet of footing. At 20 inches wide and 10 inches deep: 120 × 1.667 × 0.833 = 166.7 cubic feet. Divide by 27 and you get 6.17 yards. Add 10% waste and you get 6.79, so order 7.

For pad footings under posts or columns, figure one pad the same way and multiply by the count. Six pads at 24 by 24 by 12 inches are 4 cubic feet each, 24 cubic feet total, or 0.89 yards before waste.

Why footings need more waste than slabs

A slab is formed, so its edges are where you set them. A footing is often poured right in a dug trench, and a trench is never as neat as the plan. A trench dug 2 inches wide on a 20 inch footing is 10% more concrete on its own. That is why 10 to 15% waste is common on footings.

Always use the footing size on the plans or what your local code calls for. The numbers in the boxes above are only a starting point.

Common questions

Multiply the total length in feet by the width in feet and the depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 120 foot footing that is 20 inches wide and 10 inches deep is 120 × 1.667 × 0.833 = 166.7 cubic feet, or 6.17 cubic yards before waste.
Most people add 10 to 15% for footings poured in a dug trench, because trench walls are rarely straight and the bottom is rarely flat. Formed footings can use 5 to 10%.
It depends on your frost line, the soil and the load, so use the plans or your local building code. The footing thickness itself is often 8 to 12 inches for houses, but the bottom has to sit below the frost line, which can be much deeper.
An 80 lb bag makes about 0.6 cubic feet. Divide the total cubic feet by 0.6. Six square pads at 24 by 24 by 12 inches need 24 cubic feet, about 40 bags before waste. Long continuous footings are almost always cheaper with ready-mix.

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